SAO Remastered
by Ackermann
Summary: Similar to AoT, which I will be updating as well, just waiting for some more traction/view on it. This story of SAO will take place in Aincrad, and probably only Aincrad, and give people who love the anime the real story they wanted, that is longer than a few episodes and not filled with petty details. I have high hopes for this one, so bear with me. KiritoxAsuna if u care
Brief Author's note, there will never be another one again inside the story. This version of SAO will following a few of the same plot lines, but I will be making some big changes,

Romance Interest between Asuna and Kirito is the same, just not going to repeat the anime's mistakes and make SAO a cheese fest.

Added characters, and more personality to Kirito, he's not just a shell of a personality anymore, expect development.

No harem, sorry.

I have mature language in here, please don't tell me I go overboard. It's not overboard, if you've been a gamer between the demographic of 16-18 years of age, and this isn't familiar with you, you can learn now!

Changed Kirito's Sister, sorry no Incest.

Changed some of the mechanics of SAO(Gave Beta tester's an actual advantage so people have a realistic reason to hate them)

Anything I didn't mention is intended.

All text surrounded by ' means that it is Kirito looking back into the moment being written in that moment.

Anything I didn't mention.

"...What?"

*Inaudible sounds*

"What the hell do you want?"

"...told me to wake you up so you could play your game, dummy."

The crust molding my eyes together grinded away as I glanced at the clock. It blinked red next to the towering figure near my bed.

*10:43*

I let out a loud groan.

"Thanks Su, I'll get up now."

"Hurry up Kirito, I've got to go to work soon. Your breakfast is already waiting for you." Her heels clacked between her words, hastening my awakening.

After my usual morning routines, consisting of checking my mail and breaking fast, it was time to check the email that has been taunting me for the last few months.

"Alright, do you have everything you need buddy?" Suguha slung her purse over her side, and craned her head like a nanny.

"Hmmmm." I didn't look at her.

"Alright. I know you're excited. I love you."

She seized my head, and planted an enormous kiss on it, folding my ear in a most uncomfortable way.

"Alright, alright. Thanks for the breakfast." Her pestering made it increasingly difficult to read my emails.

The clacking continued, as she made her way to the door. Something caused her to pause just before she exited.

"You're just like pops, you know that?"

"You always say that." I looked at her this time.

"Must be significant then, right?"

"Mhm." I nodded.

"Alright nerd, ciao!" She gave a bright smile and closed the door behind her.

She really was a nice sister, being the older between us. While I barely dangled at the age of 16, she was now 21 and made me feel like even more of a child, despite being an adult in two years. Like mine, she carried a set of hair darker than the night, with a tiny spec that sticks up in the back. We both had fairly fraile builds, but that didn't matter. I feel like an ass for saying it, but we're nothing short of brilliant.

As for pops, as in my old man, he died of cancer a few years back. He left a fortune behind, so that hasn't been an issue, but I still miss him to death. The only thing I have left is my sister, and a handful of friends. To deal with the death, I kept myself busy through playing ESports at a professional level. There are 5 of us that make a team, and we are currently off season right now. Two of them are joining me today in trying the latest VRMMORPG, Sword Art Online. All 5 of us don't attend school anymore, as we can make a living doing what we do best.

Reaching my desired email, I quickly double clicked the confirmation email to purchase the new game. It launched today at 11:00, and there was no way in hell I wouldn't be the first one in.

A dropdown letter read:

Greetings player! Welcome to Sword Art Online. Please click the link below to start your download and install S.A.O. Calibrations to your NerveGear! We are delighted at your choice to choose our product. Kayaba Akihiko wants to personally thank you for your continued support with your purchase of the NerveGear, as well as your new game! Sword Art Online features a vast world littered with all environments that you would find on Earth, and in all continents. Enrich your experience by meeting friends and taking down various challenges as a team! Our hope is to make you feel truly alive within the simulator, so all forms of nature and fatigue will affect your nerves. Game features consist of the following:

Structured Player vs. Environment: All players will begin at a starting level, and will rise the ranks doing many things, such as completing quests or dynamic events found across the world. Almost anything grants experience points, which are crucial towards completing the game's main objective. Combat with AI will feature several attack patterns and mechanics, rewarding players who truly immerse themselves in the combat. All combat works with precision, meaning there will be no direct damage skills or abilities. In simple terms, you have to earn your damage! If you miss, you miss! Some enemies will be faster than others, but will have their own weakness. Your job as a player is to conquer all of the challenges we throw at you, Parties of up to 6 players are allowed.

Structured Player vs. Player: Players will be able to attack other players in the wilderness, even if they are much higher level. To balance this, any player who slays another will be given a red reputation, meaning everyone can see that they participate in PvP. NPCs will not offer their services to these players if their reputation is low enough, and it can be tougher to find parties. All items within your inventory are lost, so remember to use your bank regularly found within ALL towns! Towns are also a save zone to all player vs. player damage, so not to worry! Players who slay certain amounts of other players will receive unique bonuses and skills to fit their playstyle. If you slay a player, and play the game long enough, your reputation will slowly revert back to normal if you play on good behavior. Regardless if you slay a player in self defense or your own attack, you WILL receive red reputation!

Classes: Classes in S.A.O. are NOT chosen when you log in. You can change them on the go, and will be determined by your weapon choice, as well as playstyle. For instance, if a player equipts a sword as well as a shield, he will have a completely different playstyle and flow than a player with a sword and a second sword. To make your play feel more unique, we made sure each weapon set felt different enough so that you have to learn how to use each weapon as if it were a completely new experience. By balancing this way, it allows players who play more often be able to switch roles on the go to fit team compositions. To prevent abuse, the stats on your armor do not change with your weapon choice, so a tank can not simply switch to a damage class and deliver massive strikes while remaining a tank. His strikes would simply do less damage.

Skills: Training skills are necessary in many ways. For instance, a player who kills enemies can sell unique monster drops to an armor maker, who then crafts the armor. This same armorsmith can use his newly acquired items to sell back to the players slaying the enemies, who can then move on to harder ones with their newly equipped armor. This completes a series of assembly lines of players giving tools to the next person to complete their next task. A fisherman catches game, which he sells to a chef, which sells it to the populace. There are many other skills and professions to be learned, and several uses for each one. It is important to note that experience for these skills do NOT add on to your total level, but simply make your life easier, or earn you a bit of coin. It is recommended that each player become adept with at least one skill so they can participate in the flowing economy.

Trade and Barter: Trading will be completed from the in game U.I. - the User Interface. You can trade any amount of items to any player, meaning a higher level can help a lower level out. Players who participate in training skills, such as harvesting raw materials across the world, or offering a service such as cooking or blacksmithing can also sell their work through the trade interface. Players who frequently buy and sell goods will have unique access to crafting larger bags for personal inventory space, as well as increased bank space.

Guilds: Guilds within S.A.O. have no limit of players, so feel free to recruit away! We encourage both social and competitive guilds. There is no minimum amount required to form a guild, and any guild can purchase a Guild Hall! These are your own personal place to access many features found within towns and outposts. You will also be able to put your guild emblem on weapons and armor.

Seasonal Events: Based on the Seasons within Japan's time zone, Sword Art Online will directly replicate the weather associated in reality. We will be meeting certain stereotypes to immerse all players during times of celebration. For example, have you ever felt snow before? simply wait for Christmas to roll around and it will be your experience! Join our servers when we launch the World Wide Halloween event, as a tribute to our players! Lastly, The New Year Ceremony will always be commenced with a grand addition to the game. We hope you visit on those spectacular days, as you'll want to be there. Unique items and skills are available at all of the events listed above, and we aim to please the masses with growing and familiar content.

Extensive PvE Content: We have implemented several dungeons and challenges across the world to further inspire players to explore and learn the map. We randomly generate an instance of the final room to make it a challenge, even if you revisit the same dungeon! We have many varieties of dungeon battles. For instance, a horde of enemies will test your ability to defeat multiple foes before you are overwhelmed. We have also designed smaller mini bosses to guard chests within these challenges. Both hordes of enemies and a mini boss can also appear, reducing the amount of smaller fodder than appears. Our endgoal is to enrich the experience for players even if they are back tracking to help a friend, or are simply in the area and feel a need for a battle.

The Mission: Your hero will be placed at the bottom of the World, Aincrad. There are a total of 100 floors, starting with floor 1. Your job is to complete all floors, which are guarded by their own boss with unique mechanics and weapons. Players who receive the killing blow are rewarded with a unique bonus to their party! When a boss is slain, the gate t the next floor will be available for 3 in game hours. This way, even if you aren't a PvE or PvP player, and just train skills, you can still move on to new floors! Happy Hunting, and stay alive!

This is only a taste at the content you will find within S.A.O., we encourage you to discover the rest on your own. The world awaits, Link start!

Thank you, Kazuto Kirigaya!

Please Accept the following terms and conditions:

…

I accept ■

I decline ■

Download

After some buffering, the email accepted and let me in. I already had the game downloaded from the beta, so that wasn't an issue.

"10:58, damn."

My eyes diverted back to the screen, as it was good to go. Time to suit up with the Nerve Gear. A simple, standard issue Virtual Reality Headset that slipped over the head, not too bad. I stretched out on my bed near the P.C, anxiously making sure every muscle was comfortable.

After some time, I closed my eyes.

Just like those damned dreams where you wake up right before falling, that was the experience of logging in. My avatar, Kirito looked similar to myself, with increased physical statures. The real world would not hold me back, for the limit is the sky. I've decided to use the alias of Kirito just as a combination of my first and last name, and it sounded pretty cool.

I seemingly 'landed' in a bustling city, filled with N.P.C.'s, or Non playable characters. Other people logging in phased in all around me, and the aroma of fresh food and greenery invaded my nostrils. This is what I was waiting for.

I started wandering, checking out the visible options within the menu, getting the feel back into the game. I'd have to meet up with Price and Innes eventually, so we can start grinding levels together. They were also members of my competitive Esports team, TGS.

"Hey, slow down their 'pal." A lanky redhead mumbled, grabbing my arm forcing a halt.

"Hnn?" My eyes rolled.

"You know what you're doing, right?" His eyes looked at me in delight, seemingly sparkling in the virtual morning.

"Yeah, I've gotta get moving though." I shook his annoying arm off, and continued on my way.

"Hey man, can you show me the ropes?" He seemingly begged from behind. Gods, was he annoying. Why do people like this even bother me? They will never become anything, and will most likely quit the game a month after launch.

"Keep up." I muttered in acceptance, accepting his company.

With this nameless stranger now following me, I just zoned him out as I ran towards the best farming location. Shacks filled with NPC's caused a lot of noise, but the sound of civilization comforted my ears like a newborn to his mother. I don't know why, but I liked knowing that some form of life was always near. I arrived with the greenhorn, and showed him the basics of combat. The guy had trouble killing boars.

I looked at one of the creatures, and unsheathed my starter blade. As I saw it in disgust, the blade was dull and blunt for the most part. In other words, it was terrible. Since this was the early game, it would have to do. I pointed the sword towards the creature, and prepared my strike. Like the beta, anyone could deliver a fatal blow with weapons. Energy would pulse from your chosen weapon, and your feet would seemingly shoot themselves towards your target in a dance of blades. That was at least my case, power and energy oozed from my attacks, being a expert in the field of combat already.

"The name's Klein." He dumbly added, after seeing me wipe out a group of wildlife.

I sighed, deeply. "You may call me Kirito."

Before I could continue with my work, the bastard asked another question.

"You're a natural at this, damn impressive."

"Yeah, I played in the Beta quite a bit." I couldn't help but admit it. I was proud of this fact.

"I heard only a few people got to play that; you must be one lucky soul there, bud."

"Yeah."

"So, after watching you, how's this look?" He asked, charging his own blade.

"Not bad, now give it a go." I pointed to a boar.

Sure enough, he struck directly through the creature, a clean cut. Not bad.

"Nice for an amateur, keep at it. Let me know if you need help."

"Alright, I've gotta take the kids to the pool. Hopefully we can meet again, chief." He swiped his finger in thin air, bringing up the in-game menu. I smiled, walking away. "Hey, chief! How'n the hell d'you log out?" He barked.

"Bottom of the in-game menu." I retorted, not looking behind.

"…Sorry mate, but it's not there. Could you take a peek?"

Damn it. I sighed, once again bringing up my menu in one daft movement, cycling through the option. There was no log out function. It was gone. "What the fuck." I mumbled.

"Find it?" His horribly annoying voice prodded.

"The game's fresh, and it seems to be bugged, just wait a few minutes until it fixes." I waved, hoping he'd go away.

"Guess so, thanks."

My feet lifted off the ground, and I was morphed back into the central plaza of the starting town. Every other player was teleporting in, against their will for some damn reason. Why can't I just go level up for god's sake?

'Although I regret to admit, a small dosage of paranoia seeped through my virtual veins, shooting a throb down the core of my spine as the sky morphed into a thick crimson. This was foreign to me at the time. All I could remeber was that little piece of doubt that kept me worried.'

"Hey, chief, what's happening? You were in the beta." The newly teleported Klein pondered.

"This was not in the beta my friend." I replied quickly, swallowing a pocket of air.

It's so funny. I looked around at all of the players panicking. Akihiko Kayaba, the founder of SAO, was kind enough to give a new feature of the game like this so even we Beta-testers can witness new material. Gazing around, players started covering their mouths and pointing towards the sky, drawing my attention. The sight was truly peculiar, forcing my eyes into a squint to barely pick out the image. It was a vast haze of smoke, forming into a dark cloak of a giant being floating high in the sky. We all fell silent, awaiting it's welcome.

Upon the pronunciation of his voice, the marble beneath our feet rattled from the power emitting from the beast. "I bid greeting to my subjects. You lucky few, you happy few! I offer my utmost condolences to the possible misery that is wrought upon thee. You, my subjects, will remain here in this world. You will clear all one-hundred floors, like the heroes you are. I apologize for any discomfort by the dysfunctions of the logout option, for this was intended. This land, Aincrad, will either be your salvation, or it shall be your grave. That is your decision. Moving forward, you will find sufficient nourishment for your bodies in this land; do not carry apprehension over this matter. Although, if you were to have the NerveGear removed, or if you so happen to parish through having your health reach zero, the NerveGear shall detonate. The only way to avoid this is to complete my game. I have one last message from the omnipotent Akihiko Kayaba, or me. I want to savor this, and study your emotions as human beings, so I have used your NerveGears to morph you into your real self. If you ever question my power, you may always look at the recordings of news programs panicking over this new 'epidemic'. Three-hundred and forty seven players have already perished in the real world through forced NerveGear removal. I shall spare you the details. Pass all 100 floors, defeat the bosses at the end of the dungeon, and you will complete my dear subjects, do enjoy the game. Kayaba, out."

My breath slowed, still transmitting this new information. My feet moved without order from my brain. I was acting on pure instinct. Pushing through panicking players, I noticed some scars on my hands from the real world. Fuck, this was real.

I felt someone latch onto my wrist, it was Klein.

"Where are you goin'?" He pondered, his avatar now gone. He was just how he'd customized his character, a redhead that was quite lanky that needed a shave.

"I'm not going to sit around like everyone else here, I'm going to get ahead of the game and figure this shit out. Now isn't the time to think, Klein. Hesitation is death, you can join me if you'd like." I uttered, still shaking somewhat.

"Sorry chief, I've got a pile of friends waiting for me, I'll find them first. Would you like to stay? We could use your expertise," The fidgety man forced out a smile in this time of panic.

I thought about it, it would be nice. My mind was still soaking in the shithole news, I could really use a few shoulders to lean on. But I would fall behind…

"Not this time, I'm going to head west and get a lead first. Maybe I will next time." I shook his hand firmly, staring deep into his eyes.

"Friends?" He mumbled.

"Yeah, let's do it." I pulled up my menu from the air, and sent it. He quickly accepted, and I was off.

"Good luck, chief." He called after me; I set up a lone hand to wave back. Let the games begin.

…

A full day and night had passed; I had increased to level seven, most likely the highest of anyone in the game thus far. Another dozen or so people had perished, I heard rumor in the towns I ran through. Lucky for me, I'm a beta-tester. In my case, I don't play by the rules. Hidden amongst the first nine floors of the one hundred, I stashed little pockets of loot that the game never wiped with the re-release.

That was today's personal quest. My feet crunched the dying leaves leading the path toward a small cave in the center of the first zone. My initial fear of death had toned down, for I convinced myself that it was still just a game. The sound of cicadas buzzed in my ear, joined by the rustling trees in the wind, resulting in the perfect illusion of true nature indoctrinating me. Guilds, known as a group of people who share an emblem, had formed already. People felt safer in groups, but in reality they will all be victim to the true desire of mankind, power. I have tasted the temptations of overbearing leadership, which is the reason I'm playing VRMMORPGs in the first place. I ruined TGS, and to learn from my mistakes, I venture solo.

After a few peaceful minutes, I reached the ravenous and wretched cavern. It reeked, and was overbearingly dark. Many wouldn't enter upon these conditions, which is exactly why I stashed my gear in here. I could close my eyes and still have the same chance of having them open in finding my chest. I could hear clinks and moans the closer I got to the last chamber that I remembered, but they were all just smoke and mirrors. The game really made this place spooky, it's probably for a quest.

I reached the last room, which I remembered by the spark of an ember lit on a lone torch in the corner, exactly where I'd buried my loot.

"Shit yeah!" I yelled to no particular audience, as my hands rummaged through the dirt like a raccoon at night. I grabbed a hold of a small box, and flicked it open.

Inside I found exactly what I expected.

One Cloak of Midnight.

Rapier, Lambent Light

Demonic Sword, Elucidator

Divine Sword, Dark Repulse

Gloves, Midnight

Boots, Midnight

Bonus, infinite scaling.

I now possessed some of the best weapons in the game, since the Beta's proportions were much higher, giving me access to loot normally obtained through floors eighty or higher. My clothing is now improved from the traditional novice gear to a rather intimidating set of high stated gear improving swordplay on all margins. Lastly, the bonus, or boon provided all of my gear ever used to gain strength as myself, or its user leveled up. For now, I'm set.

As I packed my new stuff, my indicator dinged as I received a new message. It was Klein, of course.

'Hey chief, back in Starting City there's a big meeting going on about some dungeon or some shit. I know you're a boss at this, so you should check it out. They want anyone and everyone available to come and join. They're talking about some big boss. Anyway, I won't be there because I'm still learning some junk with my new guild. Anyway, ciao mate.'

I swiped the message, deleting it. I always deleted messages to keep my inbox nice and clean. One thing was for sure, I'd be there. In order to advance floors, players need to clear a dungeon with a boss at the end. The rewards are grand to the player delivering the last hit.

I grabbed the teleport crystal from my bag, and warped back to Starting City. Hopefully Klein wasn't bullshitting me. As the weight was lifted from me, I had a sudden feeling of something strange. It was a glimmer of hope, something awaited me there. I began searching without pause, earning a few stares from local players. I had already forgotten that I was now armed with dangerous gear, compared to all other people around me. I now saw a group of people forming somewhat of a circle, causing a ruckus. This was the meeting, I motioned to the rear.

Some clown named Diabel stood at attention, attempting to get everyone's attention. I admit, all of the dozens around me looked to him, silencing. I stretched my arms back, and let out a nice and rude yawn, perking my feet up next to the person in front of me. Let's see what these novices came up with.

"I'd like to thank everyone who came, during this evil time of must work as one, and discover the first chamber holding the boss to proceed forward." He shakily uttered, his eyes pleading for agreement.

My eyebrows perked up in mild amusement as a few players nodded in approval. It was quite influential that everyone came together like this, but sadly they were all wrong. Defeating a boss isn't as simple as it sounds. The longer the discussion went on, the more I lost interest. My daze was awoken by his words:

"We'll split into groups of six, and get searching. Let's move people." The leader encouraged, with nearly the entire crowd cheering him on.

I watched everyone skitter like ants into piles. I earned a few stares, but no one seemed brave enough to ask me for a party. I smirked to myself, finally standing up. Solo it is.

"Hey." A robed anomaly asked. They had a robe covering their face, confusing me a little bit. Kudos to them for approaching me.

"Yo." I waited.

"Have you got a party?" The voice was sweet, and quiet like the hum of a mother. The cloaked face turned further to the side, seemingly trying to hide.

"I haven't." I carefully added. Without thinking, my menu had already brought up the party interface, reading 1/6.

The mysterious girl faced me once more, and looked like she was about to say something. After an awkward pause, she didn't, and averted her ever so gentle gaze away from mine. My fingers selected the invite, which she hastily accepted.

Taking a glance around, it seemed that all of the players were moving out. I looked back at her, waiting for her to say something.

"All right. Let's go roam." I noticed her weapon, a dull rapier with the lowest numbers. I made a mental note, and began my walk. She followed a few feet behind, causing me to halt, briefly looking back. She halted as well, waiting.

"Why are we stopping?" She mumbled after a few seconds.

"Well... Asuna." I answered after looking for her use name in the party section. "First you're going to stop following me like a minion. I'm just a person." I chuckled, her behavior was quite odd.

Realizing the obvious cue, she finally stepped adjacent to me, resulting in me continuing our walk.

"Ki-ri-to." Asuna pronounced slowly.

"Correct." I daftly responded, not turning a cheek.

"Alright, so where are we going?" Her arms now folded, seemingly impatient.

"First thing's first, everyone back there isn't too bright. We're not facing any boss for a while."

Silence took hold, forcing our footsteps to seem louder.

"You know a lot about this, don't you?" It's odd, the way she asked me made her seem sorrowful, or even scared.

"Yeah, I guess I do. For the time being, we're goin' now."

'The coming days would be a learning experience for me. I never truly understood friendship, only comrades. I guess I never realized how much I treasure certain things in both the real and virtual world until they were gone. I know I seem tough, but nothing could hide that I was truly mortified of this curse of a world. Ridding a man's right to change is stealing his right to live, so who the hell are us players? Pawns? Parts of some dream gone wrong? If only it were that easy. Wouldn't you agree, Asuna?'

Desolation finally separated itself from me that night. For once in a elongated period of time, including in the real world, I felt optimistic towards the future. Paranoia of the imminent death as a player did not frighten me anymore, at least that's how it felt.

I proceeded to grab all my gear and suit up, for we had taken shelter in one of the inns In Starting City. I really didn't have a lot of hopes for this godforsaken place. People are already bunkering down and expecting the talented players to beat the game. I'll have none of it. I pulled my cloak over my armor, and slammed the door hoping to startle some of the people here. I pushed the door of my party members' room open. My boots seemingly scared the shine out of Asuna's eyes when I saw her on her bed with a stricken gaze of fear glancing at the door. I must have been too loud, and sounded like a threat. Everyone was on edge.

"Pack up, we're gone in five." I waited for a nod, which I received.

"To where?" Any trace of fright had vanished, a ponderous look approached me.

I turned back towards her, her hood now removed from the first day we met. She carried a set of light, yet flowing chestnut hair. Her eyes seemed to be pure gold, joined by a perfect face that made her look all the more gentle. "What're you staring at?" She chirped, noticing the awkward silence I produced.

"You remind me of my sister." I uttered somewhat humbly. "That's all." My voice trailed off.

Now that I think of it, I really miss Su right now. She's probably panicking over the news, and moved me to a hospital. All I can do is make her worry, and she doesn't deserve one bit of that.

"I see." She looked away briefly, I mimicked the action.

"As for where we are going, we're heading to a small scaled dungeon. We just have to level up a bit so we can lead the real dungeon fight." I rolled up my sleeves, and turned to let her prepare.

"Did you say lead?" That same fear returned.

"Of course." I didn't turn around, exiting the room.

I grabbed one of the seats on the lower floor, slouching. I had already earned a few stares from a table of roughly five people. I prepared to leave, but for some ungodly reason they smiled at me. I couldn't help but nod back. The mornings in this city seemed so innocent, I feel like the only one who realizes that we're all in a deathtrap. The sad thing is, since there are no re-spawns, people's dead bodies from combat most likely remain where they were slain. That is a sight I could afford to miss.

I sat unaccompanied, deep in thought. Without me realizing it, the group exited the table, delivering a few last glances back to me. I opened my Heads Up Display, or H.U.D. to access the menus with a swipe of a finger. I saw my avatar, which was now me, looking back at me like a ghost, my short black hair somewhat of a mess. My deep blue eyes seemed dark enough to be mistaken for black. The face I saw belonged to a stranger, for I had already lost track of time in this world.

My eyes drifted up to the character level in the top right. It read: 12. Next to it, I accessed the leaderboards and confirmed that I was at the top, the runner-up being level 10. I snatched a glimpse of Asuna moving on my map, she would be down here soon. I quickly shut off my H.U.D. making sure to keep my level hidden by all. The inn was now quiet; a few faint whispers escaped the breaths of everyone that remained. I finally rose, and shuffled outside.

The day was graced with rain, softly pattering down on the pavement in town. It felt superb, I don't care what everyone else thought around me, but I held my hands out like a child trying to grasp reality. This rain was the closest thing to our world that we would get.

"Oi, can we do some inside training today? Maybe something along those lines?" The freshly awakened Asuna asked, rubbing the crusts from under her eyes. She was wearing a plain blouse and dress with a small red outline, barely sufficient gear. This worried me.

"Absolutely not, more can be done from the wilderness." I began walking, happy to feel the sudden gush of water fill my boots, soaking my socks. The feeling was annoying, but I could never have been happier. She quickly caught up, and we were on our way. She was rather quiet, which I was more than okay with. That goes for everyone lately, all we have time for is thinking anyway.

The gravel beneath our feet was known by me, as I knew where we were going. I was luring us into one of the dungeons on this first floor. We'd be fine, I'm sure of it.

I was humming a quiet little tune, trotting between trees. "Are you sure you know where you're going?" Her voice groaned over the sudden splash under her boots.

"I chose today because it reminds me of home." I halted, and glanced back. She was being quite annoying. "Do you want to turn back?"

"No. Sorry." Asuna swiftly craned her head down, watching the ground.

"Come on." I made sure to deliver more gently. I didn't even realize how firm I was seconds before.

She seemingly noticed my change in tone, bringing her eyes back up to mine with a newly forged twinkle. This didn't last because she flinched, most likely a rain drop pelting her eye. She said nothing, but her facial expression answered. I continued on.

…

After a solid hour, we had reached our destination. The glorious rain had ceased, but our goal was in sight. The door looked like it was thousands of years old, the structure crumbling and withering from the test of time. No people were nearby, seemingly knowing the threat that was inside. The vast and grand trees choked the view of the sky above us, covered in a sea of branches and leaves. Asuna was becoming restless.

I whipped out Eludicator and Dark Repulse, one eclipse in color, and the other a light sky blue. Like its color, Dark Repulse would go in my less dominant hand, my left. Eludicator was much heavier, and found itself in my right. I pushed them onto the holster I had conveniently placed on my back, rather than my hip. They were heavy, but it felt right. Comfort returned to me.

When I finished gearing up, Asuna had pulled out an insignificant rapier barely capable of anything, as I could tell. She still looked troubled.

"Ready?" I gazed over.

"…Yeah." Her voice shuddered, after a small pause. She clipped the weapon to her belt.

I sighed, bringing up my menu. She didn't say anything when I snatched the rapier from her side, and deleted it. She just frowned, and waited.

"No way I'm letting someone in my group use a thing like that." I smirked, and pulled out Lambent Light, holding it straight towards her. "Game on?" I tossed it in the air, catching it by the blade this time, leaving the hilt exposed for her to take. It was powerful, and glistened in a bright white with a few gems bluer than the sea near the handle.

She was speechless, her cheeks puffing in curiosity. After some thought, she slowly took it from my hands.

"Ready?" I asked once more, hands on the ancient door.

"Yes." A firm response returned. Good.

I pushed it open, my eyes darting in several directions. Victory awaits.

"…So one thing you have to remember is that you are in a game. Your body will be able to function past its normal limits, and things like pain are irrelevant. Pain from exhaustion and fatigue stands strong, however. Even though you can't feel something, your health bar may still be taking massive hits." Asuna listened intently as we walked down the lonely halls, waiting for whatever monstrosity awaited us.

"Okay."

A few feet ahead, a skeletal horror showed itself, marked with a red diamond above its head. Red could mean an enemy NPC, or a Player Killer. Everyone else would be marked as green.

"Think before you strike, and just let the game's energy course through you like a burst of adrenaline." I coached.

My hand instinctively scooped The Eludicator from my back and held it out in front of me to keep the enemy at bay. The skeleton had noticed me, and slowly shambled towards us. Its eyes were red, somewhat protruding through the darkness. It didn't intimidate me, especially since it was so easy to kill. It finally reached our position, attempting to poke me with its insignificant blade. I quickly blocked with The Eludicator, pushing his blade to the side. With my free hand I snatched Dark Repulse and swiped one clean blow from top to bottom on the living dead. It burst into sparkles, awarding me with loot.

"Wow. You made that look easy." She looked at me dumbly with her golden stare.

"That's because it was, and now you are going to do it." I sheathed my blades, and continued on knowing she would follow.

The next one appeared, about two minutes later. I folded my arms like a judge and watched her. She stepped forward with Lambent Light, and prepared her strike. I could see the energy building, as her emotions and adrenaline climbed in anger.

"Now release!" I barked, resulting in her to lash out like a viper, striking the Skeleton several times over until it was more than dead. She kept swinging and swinging until she was completely exhausted, long after its life bar depleted to nothing more than 0. The NPC wouldn't disappear until she stopped, so I ran forward and grabbed her arm. She resisted, but my force brought her rampage to a halt. The enemy vaporized, causing her to go limp for a moment.

"I did it." She mumbled, stumbling over.

I quickly put a hand to her back so she didn't fall, and slowly sat her down.

"You did, but an attitude like that will get you killed. You did everything I told you, but something made you thrash. Tell me what it is so you can fix it before you're nothing more than dead." I backed away from the novice, wondering what the hell her problem was.

She glared at me, just like many glares I've seen before.

"How can you say something like that? This is a hellhole, not a game. Of course I'm going to be a little crazy in times like these." Her face radiated several emotions, mostly fear and anger.

"You must not let emotions get to you, no matter how strong they are. If you are to be strong, you must shut everything out. Everything. If you fight with emotion, you'll be a goner, I promise you that. Keep moving." I stepped over her, now pissed off.

The rest of the dungeon was just us two silently moving along. I killed every single creature that appeared in front of us, not allowing her to keep practicing her flawed sense of combat. She would need to calm down before attempting it again. At last, our journey brought us to the final room. It was marked with several foreign designs that let players know it would be a challenge or mini boss room.

"You'll stay behind me on this one, do not get involved. This type of room is designed for a full raid, not a party." I pulled both of my weapons out, pushing the door open.

"How big is a raid?"

"Six people."

"Then why are you going in?" She snapped.

"I'm me. Only do something if I tell you to. Got it?" I stared back at her, not moving a muscle until she confirmed.

"Fine."

I nodded, and walked inside. She followed far behind me.

Just like most challenge and boss rooms, it was like a large arena that was lit by torches. This one had a chest in the middle, and I knew it would be guarded by several monsters. No boss would spawn, but dozens upon dozens of enemies would be there in its place. We'd be fine.

"Asuna, stand next to the chest in the center of the room and be ready to defend yourself. I should be able to take care of the challenge. To get the loot we just have to defend a few waves of enemies." I ordered once more.

She listened, and took position where I told her to. The exit and entrance of the room were now far away. When I started it, you may not leave or enter unless everyone dies or you win. It was a huge risk, but lucky for me, I love risk.

"Ready?" I asked, grabbing the lid of the chest.

She didn't respond, but just gulped with a nod. I thrust it open, causing the lighting in the room to become red, just as I predicted. Enemies spawned all around us, and prepared to advance.

My confidence faded. Something was wrong, very wrong. A medium level boss had also spawned and was leading the enemies. The only possible explanation is that the dungeon scaled to my level and increased the difficulty. I would be fine, but Asuna would not if she were to be hit. The boss was like a giant grim reaper, floating a few feet above the ground leading the skeletal army. He was only a mini boss, but he was another variable in the equation.

"Fuck, we've got a problem." I shouted to her.

"W-What?!" She yelped, now shaking.

"Just hide, and do nothing. Do not attempt to assist me." I issued my orders for a last time, and charged forward cutting and swiping my way through the ranks. One of my eyes was devoted to keeping an eye on her, and so far nothing had reached her. Amidst my parenthood, I felt my body get swung a dozen or so feet away, my health bar dropping to 40%. The boss had caught my blindside, making this all the more dangerous.

"Kirito run!" She yelped again, which I chose to ignore.

I staggered to my feet, and calculated the situation. Four smaller enemies and the boss remained, which was at 80% health. If played perfectly, I could do it.

"'Sup Kilo." A familiar voice greeted me from behind, one that I couldn't be happier to hear. Innes fired an arrow, penetrating two of the skeletons in one shot, killing them immediately. "Heads up left, adds on melee." He mumbled, both of us knowing what to do.

"Let's Blitz."

"Roger."

I charged towards the boss, and Innes finished off the weaker enemies. After he did, arrows swarmed the giant cloaked reaper that was weaker without its allies. I was able to brace my stance under the crushing blows from his scythe, tanking him completely. As Innes got him lower, I successfully climbed up the fiend's arm and latched my sword into his face, and rode it down into the ground until he was nevermore.

Asuna came out from hiding, breathing heavily. She looked back and forth between my friend and me, and just shook her head.

"Finally found you, Kilo." Innes strapped his bow back on, and gave me his signature bow in greeting. He also looted the chest we had cleared, showing with his hands that it was junk.

"Nice to see you." I patted his shoulder, with a firm nod.

During the encounter, we already knew what attack patterns and strategies to use by using codenames from the beta. Our coordination is unmatched.

"And just who the hell are you?" The moody goddess remarked.

"Innes, The Defender of Tomorrow at your service." He announced with a sarcastic whistle.

"What's with the lame title?" She stabbed.

"Listen Sunshine, I busted my ass to save you-" Innes began.

"Asuna, it'd be better if you didn't ask questions when dealing with Innes' bullshit. He'll be the defender of something else in like a week. He's just fuckin' with you." I looked back towards him. "Word from Price?"

"He's going to rendezvous with us at the first boss, and then we slingshot from there into the higher levels to maintain distance between us and the other players." Innes pulled out some candy from his coat, and popped it in his mouth. The kid was obsessed with mint suckers.

Aside from his one-liners and candy addiction, the guy was pretty normal. He had fairly long brown hair with a mismatched set of hazel eyes. One was always covered by his absurdly long bangs, but I didn't say anything. He was very default in the body, not too tall, not too short, not very muscular, but not a twig. He was Innes. He's also very crude.

"Asuna." I called, and she gave me another annoyed look.

"Wha-"

I silenced her, putting a hand on her head. My older sister would do the same thing to me when I was young, and it calmed me down. Plus, she couldn't stay with us forever. I'd need to let her down easy.

"Good work." I smiled, earning a shy grin in return.

"Not to be a…" Innes stopped, trying to think of a good word. "… douche? We need to go. The noobs found the boss room, and they are all going to try it. Luckily, they activated the waypoint outside of the dungeon so we can fast travel there."

"Alright, see you there." I nodded, and Innes vanished with his teleport crystal.

"What do we do?" Her cheeks puffed in impatience.

"Go to your inventory, and pull out the 'Teleport Cystal.' Once you do that…" I quickly pulled out mine. "…Say, Teleport, 1st Floor Dungeon." Sure enough, my feet lifted off the ground and I vanished into a white light, soon landing in another dark dungeon. This time, people were everywhere.

"Yo, Innes, Kirito, over here." Price waved. He was against the cave wall, relaxing. He was a fair redhead, with a better build than me and Innes. hE was usually with me on the front lines, we supported one another. He was also much more cool headed than Innes, but did love a competition.

"'Sup man, oh by the way, did you check the leaderboards? This fucker is already number one." Innes elbowed Price, mentioning my accolade.

"Yeah I heard, good shit Kilo." My nickname.

The Three of us were all beta testers, and have already found a few of our secret item stashes. Price and I were already back in our black armor, and Price with his nuanced mobile fighting attire for marksmanship. Our strategy was simple, Price and I up front, Innes chilling in the back with the long range, calling out what he sees if needed. We were unstoppable, us three.

"Excuse me, hello!" Asuna walked up, with a smile.

Shit I forgot about her.

"Yo." My friends said in unison.

"Attention everyone, we will now proceed ahead! Stay close to an ally, and always fight with a group!" Diabel announced, while the four conversed he had been leading the pack of new players assembling for the boss.

"Let's go boys, we're going to run the defensive trinity and go for the last hit." Price commanded.

"Roger." I nodded.

"Rog."

"What should I do?" Asuna pulled my coat.

"Just hang back with Innes, he will need a hand if a melee enemy rushes him.

She grumbled a bit, probably still not liking Innes' previous remarks towards her.

…

The room was vast, and circular lit with blue flames. Diabel continued to command, people listening to his every word.

"Stick to the plan guys." Price mentioned, under Diabel's large tone.

Illfang hte Kobold appeared, as the first boss of the game. He was a warm crimson, with heated red eyes bolstered with a set of armor and an arsenal of weapons. Some of the recruits groveled in fear, looking to hide behind Diabel.

"Let's just sit back." Innes added.

"Yep."

"Attack! Go Go Go!" Diabel ordered the mob, and they attacked. The battle ensued, and I watched with a curious eye.

The beast hacked and smashed at the players, but was only grazing a few, as expected. The first bos wasn't too bad.

"We should go help them, what are we doing?" Asuna looked back and forth between the combat, and Price.

"We're waiting." He responded, coldly.

"B-But what about them? They'll die!"

"No they won't, don't worry."

"Yeah, just sit tight sunshine." Innes added.

Asuna continued looking back and forth, until she finally met my eyes, pleading.

"Not yet." I said.

Her face morphed to panic and anger, as she dashed off to the mob.

"Wait! Come back! It's useless to go now!" My voice was ignored.

Damn it.

"So, she wasn't a beta tester afterall." Innes added, with a chuckle.

"Nope." Price sighed, preparing for combat.

It was true, everything we said. The mob was in no danger, as Illfang only does percentage damage during his first 75% health, meaning that it is impossible to die, but you can be reduced to very low Hp. When he is below 25% on the other hand…

"We're going early, Innes get ready." I unsheathed one of my blades, keeping my less dominant on my back.

"Diabel! Call everyone back, the boss does huge damage to low players soon!" I commanded, as the man looked shaken.

"No. The boss is almost dead! We can do this! Pour it on everyone!" He almost looked excited."

"Diabel! Call them off!" It was too dangerous, they needed to stop.

"Kill the damn thing!" His voice overpowered mine.

Illfang's Health took a massive hit, and he almost immediately dropped his enormous mace and shield, and drew a horrific greatsword. Its eyes burned brighter than before.

"Get back, everyone!"

The beast swung, cleaving and killing 4 players in an instant, who were in yellow HP. It roared in triumph, and prepared another sweep.

The mob scattered, in fear, or froze, except for one who charged directly at the beast in tears and rage. Asuna punctured the beast's chest, and was thrown dozens of feet back, losing 90% of her health.

I saw her life bar declining, chills rippling up my spine as I saw it reach red.

"Kilo eyes up!" Price jabbed me.

"She's fine, I've got her. Go for the kill guys!" Innes yelled.

I focused. This boss would die right now. Four deaths is far too many, and there's no way we are losing.

"Price, we've got to tank test this thing. Trinity time." I kept one blade drawn, and held the Eludicator in a vertical parry stance. The beast prepared to swing.

I felt price get behind me, and held his own blade horizontally in front of me, making a plus sign. We charged our blades offensively, and would use it as a defensive shield for the incoming attack.

"Hold." Price mumbled from behind.

The beast roared, and swung at our defensive trinity.

The Greatsword smashed into our blades, and bounced back with a metal scream.

"Go, Price!"

I dashed towards the stunned beast, and leaped into the air. Directly under me, Price had thrown his blade into the monster's gut, and it sunk deep within it, only its hilt remaining on the outside. I landed on the sword hilt, and halted, feeling the beast's weight shift.

"Innes, wire me!"

With perfect timing, a metal wire shot from Inne's bow and pierced Illfang's neck. He dropped his bow, and grabbed the slack of the wire with his own hands and held it taught.

I leapt onto the wire, and sprung into the air as high as I could. A few dozen feet into the air, I could see Illfang trembling beneath me. I drew Dark repulse out with my second hand, held the Eludicator in my right, and began to spin rapidly as I descended towards the creature in a whirlwind of slashes.

I felt my muscles in my arms and legs tear, but kept slashing, until I felt my feet hit the ground hard. Illfang tumbled over, and exploded into nothing.

I let out a deep exhale.

And another.

A third.

"Well, that's that man." Price put a hand on my shoulder.

"Good shit guys" Innes hollered over, crouching near a wounded Asuna and a few other players.

I limped over, feeling strain in my body. That execution move takes a lot out of me. I leaned on price.

"You ok?" Innes asked.

I nodded, Price as well.

"Asuna, you ok?" I looked down at her, she looked exhausted and mortified still.

She just nodded.

"Four didn't make it though." It hurt to say it. Four human beings, gone.

"Yeah, I saw. Some people here were close when the initial blast hit." Innes added. "It's rough."

"Well, hopefully we can all learn from it and prevent future disasters."

"Agreed, Price."

"On a better note, how's the loot man?" Innes gave me a playful jab.

"Well, I got-

"Yeah? How's the fucking loot?" A random player added, the entire mob now staring at the four. "You sit back and watch while we fight and die, then all you talk about is loot? You four should have died.

"Wait, it's not that we didn't want to help-"

"Yeah, fuck you guys. You just used us, you should be next." Another added.

I gulped, this was bad. I'm more scared now than during the damn boss.

I locked eyes with Asuna, she looked scared. She would be the only one who would understand what I was about to do.

"You know what, that's just how it has to be. Us 3, we deserve to survive this game. We're the strongest here. Remember us, the two black swordsmen and the marksmen, the ones who will escape this hell hole first." I announced, trying to sound like a dick. I didn't include Asuna at all, hoping they wouldn't think she was with us. I quickly kicked her from the party as well.

I grabbed Innes and Price, preparing to walk off towards the second level of Aincrad.

"I never want to see them again!" People shouted, other name calls towards us.

"Traitors-!"

With that, I gave one last look towards a frightened Asuna, as she and the other wounded were tended by the mob.

As they yelling died down, as we approached the next gate, I heard a familiar voice.

"So you made us all look like assholes just to protect her?" Innes complained, popping a sucker in his mouth.

"Yeah, they would have hated us regardless."

"True, you're probably right." He made a loud sucking and slurping sound, enjoying his treat. "Fuck 'em."

"Indeed, Innes." Price added.

'I always wished I would have been able to say something to you, back then, It just wasn't the time, or the place. I did what I did to protect you, Asuna.

To Be continued


End file.
